Blind Man Says Brooklyn Popeyes Refused Him Service Because Of Guide Dog

CBS New York reached the owner, but didn’t identify him by name. He said he stands by his decision to deny service to a man with a service dog, citing health concerns and questioning whether Richards was really blind.

“We have to protect ourselves too. I mean, the man walked in with a dog, no tags on the dog, no nothing,” he said.

According to an FAQ page at ADA.gov, service animals “must be permitted to accompany the individual with a disability to all areas of the facility where customers are normally allowed to go. Individuals with service animals may not be segregated from other customers.”

Richards and a witness have filed a claim against the restaurant with New York City’s human rights commission.

The Popeyes restaurant in question is franchise-owned, but the chain’s corporate office released a statement to HuffPost about the incident:

“We welcome every guest at Popeyes and want everyone to have the best experience possible, and franchises are required to follow all federal, stateand local regulations. The manager and owner of this restaurant are trying to work with this guest to address the concerns directly.”